


What I Want To Be True

by the_butler



Series: Prompts [11]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Just two dudes unrelated to each other, M/M, Not adopted siblings, Writing Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-04-08 11:30:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19106218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_butler/pseuds/the_butler
Summary: Jason Todd came to him like a dream- he had the bad boy look down pat, from the brushed up hair to the leather jacket to the biker boots. He was even casually holding a bottle of beer, because of course, and even before Jason had said a word to him Dick knew he was a lost cause. In all his life he doesn’t remember falling so fast and so hard for anyone else, and he was no blushing virgin. He was tall and broad and had a wicked grin, the kind that promises a lot of trouble in the future, and oh, was that ever so true.Prompt: You’re my ex but I think I still have feelings for you.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Made an art about this at my [tumblr.](https://the-butler-fanstuff.tumblr.com/post/185391286971/what-i-want-to-be-true-pairing-dick-grayson-x) Take a gander if you like.
> 
> Also if you got prompts you’d like for me to explore, let me know.

Jason Todd came to him like a dream- he had the bad boy look down pat, from the brushed up hair to the leather jacket to the biker boots. He was even casually holding a bottle of beer, because of course, and even before Jason had said a word to him Dick knew he was a lost cause. In all his life he doesn’t remember falling so fast and so hard for anyone else, and he was no blushing virgin. He was tall and broad and had a wicked grin, the kind that promises a lot of trouble in the future, and oh, was that ever so true. Dick knew he didn’t look half-bad, and shot Jason his most charming smile. It worked, because it got Jason to saunter up to him from across the bar.

“Sure you want to be smiling like that?”

Jason opened, arrogant as hell, and it worked. He knew it worked. It made Dick smile wider and that showed off his dimples. Dick felt electricity going through his veins as they bantered as if they’ve known each other forever. They had a couple of more drinks and then Jason asks him to go somewhere, Dick can’t remember to where, but he remembers biting his lip and hesitating until Jason had gone and said, 

“C’mon, don’t even pretend there’s anyone else here you’re gonna go home with.”

And that clinched it. Dick can’t remember where Jason was inviting him to because they never got there, instead they crashed at Jason’s place and did it until morning came and they both were sober. That started years of dating the most arrogant bastard Dick ever came across. When it was good, it was better than good. Fucking transcendent. It still brings a smile to his face whenever he remembered the little things Jason would do for him out of the blue during their relationship. When they both felt good. And the sex- gods the sex. He’d be grinning all day, just remembering all the hot sex they had. 

But then things weren’t always great was it, or else they’d still be together. Dick had his own issues, but Jason had demons. It wasn’t so bad in the first years, but when they’d move in together that was when Dick truly realized how bad it could get. And then- then he couldn’t really pinpoint the exact reason when he was done. Truly done- not just a big argument that was quickly forgotten through some amazing makeup sex afterwards, no. Maybe it was the mix of Dick’s insecurities and Jason’s jealous streak, or the increased alcohol intake, or maybe it was the gap in their ages- it wasn’t that big a gap but the difference in maturity was marked. 

Probably the reason Dick had been able to be with Jason for so long was that he himself was immature for his age. But getting to his early thirties, he could no longer afford to act like he wasn’t. Their five year gap meant Jason was still in his late twenties, and very much dedicated to not stop partying. Maybe it was just growing up and moving on. Maybe he got tired of screaming matches in the early morning when Jason came home drunk vehemently angry about some person Dick was contractually required to interact with in his job. Not that Dick didn’t stay up being eaten from the inside out with worry about his fucking gorgeous boyfriend in a bar crawling with other gorgeous people looking to hookup for the night. After all, that’s how they started right? Not that either of them ever cheated on the other, to his knowledge. But they both had hangups, lord knows. 

Neither of them were saints, and for a while that worked out well until it didn’t. For a while the fact that the both of them were a little fucked up was something that made the relationship work until it made the relationship fall apart. Dick never did find out what was behind Jason’s demons. In the years they were together he had tried in futility to get the other man to open up, to be vulnerable in an emotional way. Maybe that was it. Maybe Dick just got tired of always having to understand for reasons he never knew. And so they parted, in spectacularly shitty fashion, with lots of recriminations from both sides, and Dick swore he’d never even so much as glance at Jason’s shadow, and Jason had laughed at that, a cruel smile on his face, swearing Dick would be back, he always came back. It took moving out and blocking several numbers and social media and several weeks before Jason finally accepted that this time, it was for real.

“Why you smiling like that?” Donna asked him, eyebrow raised and playfully mocking.

He had been smiling wistfully. They were in a bar, the very same bar where he met Jason, that fateful night all those years ago. 

“You’re not thinking about you-know-who are you? We’re actually here so you can get over him and go find someone to be in another years long agonizing relationship with.” Wally joked over the glass of wine he was sipping. These days him and his friends were all about sipping wine in a measured pace, rather than drinking like there’s no tomorrow. They all know what a tomorrow would look like after that- killer hangovers and feeling like shit for the rest of the day courtesy of their traitorous, late thirties bodies. Dick just laughed and waved a flippant hand. 

“I just remembered... well its not important.” And both Donna and Wally groaned. Donna was the first to start. “Really, Richard. It’s been like, four years since you broke up with-” 

“Him who must not be named.” Wally intercut, which earned him a look from Donna. 

“Yes, he can be named, this isn’t Harry Potter.”

“I just don’t want to dredge up even more memories by invoking his name, is all.”

“Guys guys please!” Dick interceded before an argument began between his two best friends. “Jason. Yes, I was thinking of him but!” He held up two hands as both Donna and Wally opened their mouths to start talking. “Just that this was the very same bar that we met. And that’s all. Nothing... no more dramatics coming from me I assure you. Made some headway about that with my therapist. You know this already guys come on. I’ve made peace with all that.”

Donna leveled him another look and Wally looked skeptical. And then, Donna’s face became carefully neutral and Wally looked up at the ceiling.

“What?” Dick asked, laughing a bit to show that he really was okay with just remembering Jason. 

“You’ve made peace have you?” Donna asked, tone impartial.

“Yes?”

“So, he doesn’t affect you at all anymore?”

“Well, yeah. I mean it was an important relationship that spanned like five years of my life but I mean I can just look back now at the good and forgive the bad.”

“Mm-hmm. Okay.”

“Why, what’s... there’s something going on isn’t there?” Dick asked, finally picking up on the weird vibe his friends were suddenly in. 

“Because Jason Todd just entered this bar!” Wally burst out in a whisper-shout. Donna honest to god hissed at him, and Wally shrugged. “I mean he’s going to see him eventually!” 

“What happened to not naming the guy?” Donna angrily asked. 

But his friends’ argument was like white noise to Dick as he turned around in his seat and then saw, there, leaning on the bar, talking to the bartender, was Jason Todd. And, oh, he looked like a dream- still tall and broad and in a well-tailored suit that showed it off. He had his hair slicked back and was that a streak of white mixed in? Oh god, Dick thought, he looks good. He hadn’t realized he was staring until Jason turned his head to look around and then their eyes met. Dick panicked and hurriedly turned back to his friends.

“Guys, I think he saw me.”

“You think?” Wally whisper-shouted again. “You were staring so long! Of course he’d see you! Probably felt your stare with how hard you were looking!”

“Hey, it’s okay, right? I mean you said, you’re all zen about this now, right?” Donna asked in a calm manner but there was a hint of nervousness in her voice. Dick closed his eyes and took a deep breath and shook his head to clear his mind. “Yeah, yeah of course. Zen. I’m zen. Calm as a rock.”

“Good ‘coz he’s walking towards us now.”

“I’m fuckin’ zen.” Dick muttered through gritted teeth as he mentally checked how he looked. He was just about to ask his friends about it when he felt a hand on his back. He looked up to see Jason’s face, whose unsure look quickly turned to genuine delight.

“I knew it was you!” Jason exclaimed, and opened his arms in an inviting gesture for a hug. Dick couldn’t help but stand up and accept the hug. He still uses the same cologne, Dick thought. Jason kept a hand on Dick’s shoulder even after parting, and then looked to Donna (silently seething) and Wally (awkwardly nervous) and nodded at them. “Donna, Wally, nice to see you two.” Then he turned back to Dick, who gave a small smile. Jason grinned that roguish grin, and a little bit of Dick melted inside. 

“You look great, Dickie.”

“Oh, well, um. Same. Same to you.” Dick awkwardly replied, nodding, knowing absolutely well he was being awkward. He gestured at Jason’s suit and hair and said, “different, but good.”

Jason laughed, and some more of Dick’s insides melted, and he felt the hand on his shoulder squeeze him. “Yeah, stuff happened. Time, mostly.” Jason turned to Donna and Wally again and continued, “Well, I gotta see a man about some work. Again, nice to see you guys.” He leaned in and squeezed Dick’s shoulder again and looked him in the eyes, “Especially you.” And then Jason was off, leaving without looking back and heading towards the back tables where the man from work was presumably waiting. 

“Hey, you okay?” Wally asked as Donna alternated between giving Dick a critical look and following Jason’s retreating form with a stink eye. 

Dick let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding and then fell back on his chair, his legs suddenly jelly. “Yeah, yeah, I’m okay.” He said. His gaze fell on his half-filled glass, then he took it and drained it in one go. “I think I’m gonna call it a night.”

“Good instinct.” Donna said, and drained her own glass of wine. Then they both looked at Wally, who looked a little miserable but followed suit anyway.

The three parted ways by the subway station and Dick made his way home with his thoughts filled with nothing but Jason. How he looked older, calmer, but still had the same smile. How he smelled good like always did. How he seemed like in a better place in life than when they were dating. How he seemed like he had moved on, just like Dick claims for himself. When he got home he headed straight to his room and pulled out a red hoodie from the back of his closet. It was the only thing of Jason’s that survived the purging Donna and Wally instigated after the breakup. He held it up and buried his face into it. He could remember distinctly how Jason smelled from their hug earlier, and imagined the scent onto the fabric. He closed his eyes. He’s fine, he thought. This is fine.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He really was going to do it. Damn it all. He jabbed his thumb on the screen in frustration. Might as well be done with it. It was Friday night, about eight, so it’s still not too late in the night to call someone and being misconstrued as a booty call. He hit call and placed the phone by his ear, still on his elbow and stomach on the bed. When it started ringing, he pushed himself off of the bed and stood up. It only took four rings before a deep voice said, 
> 
> “Hello?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I did ask for prompts to explore and in the comments you guys asked for me to continue this so I might as well? Hope it’s okay.

He stared at his phone, trying to make up his mind. He locked and unlocked it, opened an app then closed it, repeated this over and over again. He’d pull up the contacts list and scroll up and down, once and twice hovering over Donna and Wally’s numbers to call them instead so that they can stop him from doing what he was about to do. Oh, he was going to do it. Just, he wished he wasn’t. He threw the phone away on his bed and then followed it, his knee hitting the edge the bed and collapsing full body onto it. He grumbled into the mattress. He blindly reached out and patted about until his hand found his phone, and he pushed himself up to look at it. Unlocking it, he stared at the contacts list again. There was one name he was looking for, and it turned his stomach to know that this was happening. He scrolled down to ‘Jason Todd’. It actually said ‘demon ex don’t answer’ and was still blocked, but he knew which demon ex it was. He only ever had the one ex anyway. Oh, he dated afterwards, he wasn’t celibate the whole four years since the breakup, but none of those dates lasted more than a few weeks. He knew why, but kept it to himself. None of those dates came close to making him feel as he did when he was with Jason. 

Jason. He looked really good when they saw each other at the bar over the weekend. It’s been a week since that fateful Friday and Dick still couldn’t shake the man from his mind. He had tried burying himself in work, working out, running, but even however exhausted he was when he got to bed by night, Jason came to mind without fail. His thumb hovered over the unblock button on his phone. He really was going to do it. Damn it all. He jabbed his thumb on the screen in frustration. Might as well be done with it. It was Friday night, about eight, so it’s still not too late in the night to call someone and being misconstrued as a booty call. He hit call and placed the phone by his ear, still on his elbow and stomach on the bed. When it started ringing, he pushed himself off of the bed and stood up. It only took four rings before a deep voice said, 

“Hello?”

Shit, Dick thought. He’d been agonizing over calling Jason for the better part of the day but never got around to formulating what he was going to say. He felt the start of a rising panic and tried his best to quell it by putting on his cheerful phone voice. 

“Jason! Hi! It’s me, Dick! Uh, your ex?” Stupid, stupid why’d I say that? Dick thought. He heard a low chuckle on the other end. 

“Mm, yeah, I still got your number saved in my contacts. How’ve you been?”

Oh, he sounded good. Jason had always had a lower register than Dick, and it sounded terribly well over the phone. “Oh, uh, good! I’m good. Just, uh, remembered seeing you last Friday and just thought, well, you know, might as well give you a call. Old time’s sake, all that.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! You know, it’s been a while.”

“So it has.”

“Four years, actually. We, um, we really didn’t end it that well did we?”

Another chuckle. “Yeah, no we ended badly. I believe you swore, and I quote, ‘never even look at your goddamn shadow’, right?”

Dick just realized he was pacing when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He laughed nervously. “Oh, you remember that, huh?”

“Mm-hmm. Remember a lot of other things too.”

Dick looked around his room, as if Jason would suddenly pop out of nowhere. His face felt hot. “Do you?” He answered weakly.

“Hey, are you free tomorrow night? You want to have some drinks, catch up a bit? Say, after dinner, around 8:30?”

“Uh, sure!” Dick replied, a little too fast probably, in a brightly brittle tone. “Where’d you wanna meet?”

“Where else, Dickie?”

“Oh. Same place then?”

“It’s easier for us to meet there, I think. So, see you then?”

“Um, yup. Yeah. Sure.”

“Great. Looking forward to it.”

Jason ended the call before Dick could say anything else to embarrass himself further. He stared at his phone for a while, not wholly believing that the call happened. But, it must have happened, else he wouldn’t have a date with Jason for tomorrow. Dick violently shook his head. No. No it wasn’t a date. It was just two exes meeting up again after four years where one clearly changed for the better while the other languished in the longest post breakup funk. Yes, that’s what it was. 

***  
It wasn’t a date, but Dick certainly prepared for it as if it was. The whole of the morning and afternoon of Saturday he agonized on what to wear, and what exactly to talk about. He solved the first problem, but stumbled on the second. He was just probably going to wing it. But he’d at least look nice, in the blue button down that brought out his eyes and the well fitting jeans he had that accentuated his assets and made him feel confident. He debated whether he should tell Donna and Wally about it, but decided on asking for forgiveness instead of permission. They’d probably demand to go with him, or spy at them very obviously. He doesn’t need the added external pressure. He already had all the internal pressure he can handle. 

He got to the bar, their bar, a little too early- forty minutes early. So he ordered a glass of wine and nursed it until the clock on his phone said 8:30 pm. In the time he waited there were two interested persons who sat beside him at the bar and tried to strike up a conversation which he was quick to shut down with a polite “I’m here to meet up with someone, actually.” and a nice apologetic smile. It was a few minutes after the agreed time and a third person was still persistently trying to get Dick to talk with them, or at least get his phone number, when Jason Todd appeared behind the man, amusement etched on his face. 

“He’s actually with me.”

Dick turned to him, relieved, and the other man took one look at Jason then held up his hands and walked away. 

“Thank god you’re here now.”

“Lemme guess,” Jason started as he gestured at the bartender and he sat himself down beside Dick. “You’ve been hit on by... oh, five different people?”

“It was only the third when you came in.” Dick chided. Jason chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. “Was a time there’d be more than that before I get here.”

Dick shrugged. “Well, I’ve only been here thirty minutes.”

“Hmm, I don’t doubt it, not in those jeans.”

Dick tamped down on the shiver that started in his back. It was easy to slip into familiar banter, and Jason looked good in the black v-neck shirt, thin jacket and those pants. Jason clearly kept up with his workouts. “You don’t look half-bad yourself.”

Jason shot him that roguish grin before ordering a shot of whiskey from the bartender. “Yeah? Just half-bad?”

“Okay, you look good. Great in fact.”

“That’s more like it.”

They both smiled at each other. It was easy, so easy to act in a familiar manner and pretend the four years never happened. Jason’s order came and he picked up the tumbler and leveled it to Dick’s wine glass. “What are we drinking to?”

Dick picked up his glass by the stem and cocked his head to the side as he made to think about it. “To old times?”

Jason grinned at him again, and clinked his tumbler to the Dick’s wine glass. “To old times.” They both took a sip and then put down their respective glasses. “So,” Jason continued, “to what do I owe the pleasure of your company tonight?”

Oh, hm. What did he want out of this, Dick thought. He took another sip to stall. His drink was about finished, and Jason noticed. “You want another glass?”

“Yes, please.”

Jason signaled at the bartender. There were quite a number of people- it was a popular bar and it was the weekend. The bartender saw him but had to service two other patrons before getting his order of another glass of wine for Dick. Again, old habits. Jason didn’t even have to ask which wine Dick had ordered before hand. The familiarity was cozy and also a little terrifying. 

“Ah, so,” Jason started, “the call.”

Oh, we’re starting with that, Dick thought, panic coming back. He settled for a non-committal sound. Jason leveled him a stare, the corner of his lips lifting. Dick felt like he had to fill in the silence, despite the sounds of other people filling the room. “Well, I guess, seeing you again kinda made me...” he made gestures with his hands, trying to come up with the right word.

“Nostalgic?” Jason supplied, eyebrow raised, head to one side.

“Mm, yes I suppose.”

“Well, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I felt the same.” Jason agreed, and took another sip of his whiskey. “I feel like this isn’t really the place to be having this conversation.” He added, when a passing person almost hit him from behind with an elbow.

“Why’d you choose it then?” Dick asked, genuinely curious.

“Nostalgia, probably.” And he gave Dick a wistful smile. Oh no, Dick thought. I’m actually going to do it. “Hey,” he began, “you want to finish these drinks and head somewhere else?”

Jason’s face was carefully neutral as he took another sip. “Yeah?” He asked after putting down his drink. “Where’d you feel like going?”

“Somewhere less crowded.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I guess this is the part where we talk about our sordid past.” Dick said, half-jokingly. Jason leaned back in the bench and made himself comfortable. “Oh, I wouldn’t call it sordid. I mean, not all of it.”

They ended up at the nearby park. It wasn’t too late in the night and there were couples taking strolls and sitting on the benches. They found one and sat down, enjoying the cool night breeze. They had exchanged the usual small talk while they finished their drinks back at the bar- work, social life, and so on. Surface level things, like the fact that neither of them were currently dating. Dick was surprised to learn that Jason was working corporate now, and for a multinational like Queen Industries no less, he had never shown interest and actually made derisive comments about it in the past. Used to make fun of Dick’s work at the big law firm (Prince, Kent and Wayne), calling it drudgery. When asked, he merely shrugged and said he had to earn money somehow. “S’not so bad, I guess. I mean I still have to exist in this capitalist society.” Dick had laughed at that, and gently ribbed Jason’s past rebellious stance. But then they’d run out of neutral things to talk about, and Jason paid for the drinks (he insisted, and would not take Dick’s money to his slight annoyance), and they left the bar and walked to the park in companionable silence.

“I guess this is the part where we talk about our sordid past.” Dick said, half-jokingly. Jason leaned back in the bench and made himself comfortable. “Oh, I wouldn’t call it sordid. I mean, not all of it.”

“Oh, I was just joking.”

Jason smiled. “I know.”

A moment passed and Dick felt the urge to clarify further. “Well it wasn’t always great either. But when it was good, it was great, you know?”

“Mm, I know what you mean. Remember the week we spent vacationing in that Mexican resort? Heaven on earth. I still think about it, from time to time.”

Dick blushed lightly. Oh, he remembered it well. Sun drenched days lazing about by the pool and the beach, long summer nights filled with sex and cuddles and pillow talk. That was two years into their relationship, and when Jason had sprung the idea of living together. Jason spied him from the corner of his eyes and chuckled. “I see you remember it quite well as well.”

“It’s hard not to, now that you’ve brought it up.”

Jason laughed, and Dick smiled as well. Then the smile turned wistful.

“What happened to us, Jay? Why did it go so wrong? In the end?” He looked at Jason earnestly. Jason turned his head and met his eyes. “If I knew then, Dickie, I would never have let you walk out the door.” 

“Really?”

“Yeah. You’re probably the best thing to happen to me. Only I didn’t know that then. Didn’t know it even after you left. Took me a while to figure it out. Had to go to therapy and all that shit to sort myself out.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t feel bad though.” Jason smiled again. “It just... well, it was the right thing at the wrong time, I guess. You were so much more mature than I was. I was jealous all the time. Not just of everyone around you but of you as well. I mean,” Jason cocked his head to the side and shrugged, “now I can say that. But back then, I didn’t know. Didn’t let myself know.”

Dick’s hand moved to hold Jason’s hand before he even knew what he was doing. Jason was a little surprised, but then turned his hand palm up and gave Dick’s a squeeze. 

“I didn’t let you in. I had...” Jason stopped and frowned. He looked like he was internally debating whether or not to say any more than he had. This was the part in the past where he would drink instead, Dick remembered. “Shit I had to deal with that I didn’t know how to handle without the booze and the partying. I know you hated it.”

“It wasn’t that I hated it, it’s just, sometimes it got too much.”

“Yeah when you left it really got worse. I was spiraling.”

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, Jay. You don’t owe me anything.”

That brought a smile back to Jason’s face. “You always were the better of us.”

“Don’t say that.”

“No, you really-” 

“Really, don’t. I’m no angel, Jay. I had so much of my own shit. I felt like I couldn’t show it to you, I was the older one, supposed to be more mature, I couldn’t...” Dick shut his eyes. “I guess I was so busy getting you to open up to me that I didn’t notice I was hiding things from you too. The pressure I constantly felt, and then we moved in together and the pressure got worse. But the worse it got the more I felt I couldn’t tell you.”

“I didn’t know.”

“Yeah, seems like we both didn’t know.” 

They both sat back and looked up at the night sky. They were still holding each other’s hand, and neither was letting go.

“I don’t know why I even bother to look for stars here.” Jason said, a bit of laughter back in his voice.

“Yeah, the city’s shit for stargazing for sure.”

A moment passed, and then Jason started talking again. “When you left, I said it got worse. Like, really bad. If it wasn’t for Roy I probably would still be wasting my life away in booze and easy money and for a bit there some drugs.”

Dick remembered Roy. He was Dick’s friend first but quickly became closer to Jason who partied as hard as he did. Little by little Dick drifted apart from them, pulled away by growing responsibilities and the sobering life of adulthood. 

“Roy? As in party hardy Roy?”

“Yeah, that Roy. It was one night, we were... well, things got way out of hand, and he almost OD’ed. That was a wakeup call for the both of us. Hauled our asses straight from the hospital to an AA meeting.”

“Oh, but earlier, you didn’t say you were sober! I shouldn’t have...”

“It’s okay, Dickie. I’ve learned how to control myself. Got the therapist and all that shit for that. I can handle a drink, but that’s it. Just the one drink. That’s all I allow myself and frankly, I don’t really miss it that much. This being 31 is shit for doing anything.”

“How’d you think I feel at 36?” Dick exclaimed, laughing. 

“You’re old man, old as balls.” Jason rejoined, laughing as well. “Hey!” Dick protested. “Was a time you liked this old man.”

“Sure did.”

Their laughter died down to smiles. 

“So what now?” Dick asked tentatively. Jason looked at him again. There was still a ghost of a smile there.

“I guess now we can finally be friends.”

Dick took this in. Was it what he was hoping for when made that call? Well, he wasn’t really hoping for anything. Getting a bit of closure was a bonus. Having any kind of relationship with Jason again? He didn’t even consider it. “You... I guess, yeah. We were never really friends were we? When we weren’t lovers we were fighting.”

“Yeah.”

“Hm.”

“What do you think?”

Dick let go of Jason’s hand and folded his arms across his chest. This was probably the most that Jason opened up to him. He might as well be just as open in return.

“You know, I loved you. And I think a part of me will always love you.”

Jason turned to him, stunned. “Dickie...”

Dick gave him a small smile. “I still have that red hoodie you always wore. On bad days, I wear it. It’s embarrassing to admit, but yeah.”

“So that’s where it was.”

“Yeah.” Dick licked his lips, the nervous energy from admitting something so private buzzing through his veins. “Had to hide it from Donna and Wally or else they would have chucked it in the bin the moment they got their hands on it.”

Jason laughed, and Dick felt a little relieved. 

“You know, no one else came close to you.” Jason said, smirking. 

“Really?”

“Yeah. Sucks, but there you go.”

They regarded each other for a moment, neither daring to move. Jason was first to break the ice, words a little halting. “So, what does this make us?”

Dick thought about it. Their selves laid bare under a half moon. They had fallen hard and fast the first time, and maybe that’s where they got it wrong. Like Jason said, it was the right thing but at the wrong time. 

“I think... I think we should work on being friends first.”

Jason stared at him for a bit, and then nodded. “Yeah, I think you’re right.”

“You realize that means you gotta try and be friends with Donna and Wally as well.”

“Pft. Wally... Wally is easy. Donna? That’s gonna take a while.”

“Oh don’t be so down on her. She’s just protective of me, that’s all.”

“As she should. You’re much too important, and I was so careless of you back then.”

“So, friends?”

Jason gave him a genuine smile. “Friends.”

They both got up and started walking in silence. Soon, they’d be parting ways. They exchanged a not so brief hug by the entrance of the park, each going the other way.

“So if I have to be friends with Wally and Donna, are you ready for sober Roy?”

“Sober Roy?”

“The sober-est.” Jason replied with an easy laugh. “I think you’d like him better that way.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

They walked a little bit away from each other before Jason turned around and called at him. “Hey, this was nice.”

“Yeah, it was.”

“You free next weekend?”

“I’ll check. Text you when.”

“Great. See you soon Dickie.”

“You too, Jay.”

And then they walked their separate ways, each one smiling, a four year weight off their chest. When he got home, Dick headed straight for his closet, and took out Jason’s red hoodie again. He regarded it for while, recalling Jason’s words earlier. He hadn’t known he wanted that conversation, but if he was truly being honest, he probably didn’t want himself to know. In the past, the less expectations he had the better it was for the both of them. This time, they’ve both grown up, and though he came in without expectations Jason rose to the occasion, met him halfway. Dick smiled at that. People change, and they both had. It was comforting to know. He changed out of his clothes and put the hoodie on with pajama bottoms and went to bed. This time, he’d be wearing it on a good day, and the thought of it made him smile again. Everything’s fine, and this time it’s true. 

***  
Fin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That’s it. Thanks for reading. If you have prompts you want me to explore, leave a comment or drop an ask at my tumblr: the-butler-fanstuff. I post artwork there as well.


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